Samaje Perine

Samaje Perine

28-Year-Old Running BackRB
Denver Broncos
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Perine rarely will run away from anyone and isn't as bruising as one might expect of a 236-pound back, but his fundamentals are good and he has a polished passing-down skill set that makes it easy for a playcaller to leave him on the field. Perine had 65 catches for 483 yards and five touchdowns on 82 targets (79.3 percent catch rate, 5.9 YPT) the last two years in Cincinnati, often subbing Joe Mixon on passing downs. And while not a violent runner, Perine can inflict pain in blitz pickup, which might have been one of the main draws for new coach Sean Payton when the Broncos signed Perine to a two-year, $7.5 million deal in March. With starter Javonte Williams uncertain for Week 1 following last year's ACL/LCL injury, Perine gives the Broncos a sturdy stopgap option who can take on a three-down role if the circumstances call for it. Even if Williams is ready for the opener, Perine will have a significant role and might even get more touches than his teammate early on. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
$Signed a two-year, $7.5 million contract with the Broncos in March of 2023.
Minimal production in season finale
RBDenver Broncos
January 10, 2024
Perine carried three times for seven yards and caught three of four targets for 23 yards in Sunday's 27-14 loss to to Raiders.
ANALYSIS
Perine played 38 percent of the Broncos' offensive snaps in the contest, placing him behind starter Javonte Williams (41) but ahead of Jaleel McLaughlin (nine), the latter of whom exited early with a head injury. After signing a two-year, $7.5 million deal with Denver last spring, Perine finished his first season in Denver with 53 carries for 238 yards and a touchdown and a career-high 50 receptions for 455 yards. Heading into the final year of his contract in 2024, Perine should continue to compete for backfield snaps with Williams and McLaughlin.
Read More News
NFL Stats
Loading NFL Stats...
Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
Loading Fantasy/Red Zone Stats...
Advanced NFL Stats
How do Samaje Perine's 2023 advanced stats compare to other running backs?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
  • Broken Tackle %
    The number of broken tackles divided by rush attempts.
  • Positive Run %
    The percentage of run plays where he was able to gain positive yardage.
  • % Yds After Contact
    The percentage of his rushing yards that came after contact.
  • Avg Yds After Contact
    The average rushing yards he gains after contact.
  • Rushing TD %
    Rushing touchdowns divided by rushing attempts. In other words, how often is he scoring when running the ball.
  • Touches Per Game
    The number of touches (rushing attempts + receptions) he is averaging per game
  • % Snaps w/Touch
    The number of touches (rushing attempts + receptions) divided by offensive snaps played.
  • Air Yards Per Game
    The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
  • Air Yards Per Snap
    The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
  • % Team Air Yards
    The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
  • % Team Targets
    The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
  • Avg Depth of Target
    Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
  • Catch Rate
    The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Drop Rate
    The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Avg Yds After Catch
    The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
  • % Targeted On Route
    Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
  • Avg Yds Per Route Run
    Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.
Broken Tackle %
11.3%
 
Positive Run %
86.8%
 
% Yds After Contact
63.9%
 
Avg Yds After Contact
2.9
 
Rushing TD %
1.9%
 
Touches Per Game
6.1
 
% Snaps w/Touch
30.2%
 
Air Yards Per Game
-0.2
 
Air Yards Per Snap
-0.01
 
% Team Air Yards
-0.1%
 
% Team Targets
11.7%
 
Avg Depth of Target
-0.1 Yds
 
Catch Rate
89.3%
 
Drop Rate
3.6%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
9.3
 
% Targeted On Route
25.9%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
2.11
 
Loading Advanced NFL Stats...
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2023 NFL Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
Standard
PPR
Half PPR
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Game Log...
2022 NFL Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
Standard
PPR
Half PPR
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Game Log...
2021 NFL Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
Standard
PPR
Half PPR
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Game Log...
2020 NFL Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
Standard
PPR
Half PPR
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Game Log...
2019 NFL Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
Standard
PPR
Half PPR
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Game Log...
2018 NFL Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
Standard
PPR
Half PPR
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Game Log...
2017 NFL Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
Standard
PPR
Half PPR
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Game Log...
Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Denver BroncosBroncos 2023 RB Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts
#% of Team Snaps

46946%
34134%
18418%
10%
Loading Weekly Snap Counts...
Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Samaje Perine lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
Detailed
Grouped
Side
Loading Alignment Breakdown...
Loading Alignment Breakdown...
Loading Alignment Breakdown...
Loading Team Alignment Breakdown...
2023 Samaje Perine Split Stats
Loading NFL Split Stats...
Measurables Review View College Player Page
How do Samaje Perine's measurables compare to other running backs?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
5' 10"
 
Weight
236 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.63 sec
 
Shuttle Time
4.37 sec
 
Cone Drill
7.26 sec
 
Vertical Jump
33.0 in
 
Broad Jump
116 in
 
Bench Press
30 reps
 
Hand Length
10.00 in
 
Arm Length
30.38 in
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Samaje Perine See More
NFL Free Agency: Assessing Potential Cap Casualties
25 days ago
Tyler Lockett is one of the many big-name WRs with no guaranteed money remaining on a sizable contract, potentially setting up a trade or release in the next few weeks.
Best Ball Strategy: Late-Round Values & Stacks for 2024 Best Ball
27 days ago
Elijah Mitchell has a 15th-round ADP even though he remains just one Christian McCaffrey injury away from fantasy stardom.
Best Ball Strategy: Middle-Round Values & Stacks for 2024 NFL Best Ball
30 days ago
Cardinals teammates Kyler Murray and James Conner are two of Jerry Donabedian's favorite 2024 picks based on early ADP.
Backfield Breakdown: 2023 RB Season Review & 2024 PPR Rankings
45 days ago
Breece Hall gets the No. 2 spot in Jerry Donabedian's initial 2024 PPR rankings for RBs after leading the position with 95 targets this past season.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
Perine bounced through a couple organizations after entering the league as a fourth-round pick in 2017, eventually finding a home in Cincinnati. He's played 16 games for the Bengals in each of the last two seasons, and he emerged as a useful pass-catching option last year while spelling Joe Mixon on both early and late downs. Perine is a physical runner who doesn't offer much in the way of elusiveness, but that makes him an effective complement to the more nimble Mixon, especially now that the Bengals trust both backs on all downs. There's a sliver of upside for Perine in the backup role if he sees a bigger share of the workload at the goal line, but his real path to production is still if Mixon misses time, in which case 2021 sixth-round pick Chris Evans likely would be the top competition for snaps. Evans was mostly used for his pass- catching skills both in college and as a rookie, meaning the 240-pound Perine is more likely to be tasked with a significant role on the ground if the Bengals don't have Mixon at any point.
Joe Mixon remains firmly atop the Bengals' running back depth chart, but with Giovani Bernard now with Tampa Bay, Perine will look to move up in the pecking order and serve as Mixon's top understudy this season. Perine's style is much different than Bernard's of course, as he offers size and power rather than agility and receiving skills. Fortunately for the Bengals, Mixon is a well-rounded back who can be trusted for any down and distance, giving the team flexibility in terms of which snaps the backup handles. Perine was an effective runner in limited action last year, taking 63 carries for 301 yards (4.8 YPC) and three TDs, including a 13-95-2 rushing line Week 16 at Houston. The other competitor for backup work in Cincinnati is rookie sixth-round pick Chris Evans.
Perine is back where he started 2019, as a waiver claim by the Bengals from another organization. In 2019, it was as a late cut from the Redskins, this year it was an April move from the Dolphins. When he was with the Bengals last year, Perine saw just five offensive snaps and no carries. It would take a string of events to put him in position to change that in 2020 - perhaps a Joe Mixon holdout or a decision to cut Gio Bernard for cap reasons, and that might not even be enough.
Perine spent 2018 buried on the depth chart and may be headed for more of the same in 2019. In fact, he's no lock to even land a spot on the 53-man roster, as Washington already has two power runners in Derrius Guice and Adrian Peterson, and pass-catching back Chris Thompson is also a valuable piece of the offense. Perine would have a better chance to compete for a meaningful role on early downs if he were to land with a different team before Week 1.
A fourth-round pick last year, Perine took over lead duties when Rob Kelley was banged up in the second half of the year, immediately making a strong impression by rumbling for 217 yards and a touchdown over a two-game stretch against the Saints and Giants. His role shrank after that as he had trouble staying healthy. At 5-11, 236, Perine runs with plenty of power, and he also showed more aptitude in the passing game than expected, as his 22 catches were more than double what he hauled in his final year at Oklahoma. His lack of speed and elusiveness make it difficult for him to be effective without a big workload to wear down the opposition. With second-round pick Derrius Guice suffering a torn ACL in the first week of preseason action, Perine now finds himself in a competition for carries with Kelley and 33-year-old Adrian Peterson.
Previously just the answer to a trivia question ("Who broke Melvin Gordon's NCAA single-game rushing record one week after he set it?"), Perine will get a chance to make a name for himself in Washington, as he fits the physical RB mold the franchise has looked for since the days of Alfred Morris, if not John Riggins. At 5-10, 235, Perine has the build to handle a big workload and runs with plenty of power, making him difficult to bring down on first contact. His lack of speed or elusiveness make him purely an option between the tackles in the NFL, but that downhill style could make him a weapon at the goal line, an area where Washington struggled last year. Robert Kelley tops the depth chart heading into 2017, but if he can't repeat his success as a rookie, Perine could claim the lion's share of early down work.
More Fantasy News
Handles four carries
RBDenver Broncos
January 2, 2024
Perine rushed four times for 10 yards and caught both of his targets for 16 yards in Sunday's 16-9 win over the Chargers.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Five touches in loss
RBDenver Broncos
December 26, 2023
Perine rushed once for two yards and caught four of five targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 26-23 loss to the Patriots.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Quiet in loss
RBDenver Broncos
December 18, 2023
Perine rushed six times for 37 yards and caught his lone target for 11 yards in Saturday's 42-17 loss to the Lions.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
In clear for Saturday's game
RBDenver Broncos
December 14, 2023
Perine (knee) doesn't have a game status for Saturday's matchup with the Lions after he was a full participant in Thursday's practice, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Listed as non-participant Wednesday
RBDenver Broncos
Knee
December 13, 2023
Perine (knee/rest) didn't practice Wednesday.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.